Why Iceland’s Kerið Crater Should Be On Your Itinerary

Share on

As I was researching different sights for my Iceland road trip, one particular stop that immediately grabbed my attention was Kerid Crater, a deep, almost circular volcanic crater with a deep blue lake in the middle. What was weird to me was that most of the Golden Circle itineraries I saw on other blogs had it as a “you could stop but don’t prioritize it”. I couldn’t understand why, because it looked stunning.

So I made sure to have it on my Golden Circle driving route, even after having to shave a full day off my four-day trip due to flight delays. And as I think you’ll see from the photos, I sure think I made the right choice.

In my journal I described Kerid Crater as a “wicked cool volcanic crater”, and I stand by that assessment

We were driving from Hvolsvollur where we’d stayed overnight (at the adorable Hotel Hvolsvollur), and so got there as soon as it opened. This allowed us to get parking and beat the tour buses coming from Reykjavik (in fact, a few pulled up just as we were leaving). I can’t stress this enough if Kerid will be the first stop on your itinerary for the day. We were able to get some great pics of the crater without tons of people crowding in front of us.

We came in the visitor center (where we paid the 400 ISK entrance fee per person, about $3.50 USD) and went to the right for a great view, then went around the lake counter-clockwise. After we got that first set of pics, it started (freezing) pouring. This is when you’ll be really glad you have a really good waterproof and windproof layer—I looooved my North Face jacket.

Thankfully it didn’t last too long. I was bummed that it was cloudy and foggy, but it did lend a real moodiness to the scenery, and the green popped nicely against the gray skies. It made it just a bit harder to see the gorgeous color of the water, though.

Every so often you could catch a beautiful deep teal color without too much of a reflection. I can only imagine that in bright blue skies it would be a crazy bright turquoise. Either way, it really sets off the rich red earth that surrounds the crater.

You can get a sense of how massive the crater is in this first pic below…all those tiny little dots on the ridge are people! We made sure to climb down the stairs to the waterfront itself before leaving. It’s cool but up close you see more of the mud around the edges of the lake, which doesn’t photograph quite as well. I definitely preferred the view from above.

What’s great about stopping at Kerid Crater is you don’t need to spend gobs of time there. You could be there half an hour and move on, but missing it would be the saddest!

Hey! I’m Jessica

Who am I? I'm not a digital nomad, don't backpack or stay in hostels. I have a demanding career but find ways to fit tons of travel in while working full-time. I believe that sometimes you save and sometimes you splurge, and I'll help you figure out how to have the best travel experiences ever. My goal is to go everywhere, see everything, and soak up as much food, wine, culture, and amazing views as I possibly can in this crazy life!

Looking For Something?

Instagram Adventures

Affiliate disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. I may make a small affiliate commission from any sales that come through clicks on these links (which I greatly appreciate, and at no extra cost to you). All opinions are, as always, completely my own. Learn more in my Disclosure Policy.